So here they were, sweaty and puffed and still half a block from school.
As they got closer, though, Amelia realised that there might be some sort of crisis at school, too. Thudding along the pavement, swinging around the signpost and racing down the driveway into the school grounds, Amelia heard kids shouting at one another. Not just the usual loud, playful shouts, but angry yells. The school bell rang on and on, but no-one paid any attention.
She glanced at Charlie, but he looked as confused as she was.
Slowing to a jog, they passed the school buildings and reached the playground at the back. Kids were swarming under the old crabapple tree.
‘It’ll be the start of World War Three!’ yelled Callan, a panicked look on his face.
‘No it won’t!’ Erik snapped. ‘Don’t you know anything? It’s the start of a new world order – a new world peace!’
‘What on earth …’ Charlie murmured, his eyes moving from one kid to the other. He found any sort of chaos very cheering.
Ms Slaviero was in the middle of the playground, the old brass bell in one hand, but she’d given up using it. With her other hand, she put two fingers in her mouth and whistled.
For an instant, the playground was silent. The arguing kids stood frozen, stunned and staring at one another before turning to face their teacher.
‘What is all the noise about?’ Ms Slaviero asked. ‘I could hear you from inside the supply cupboard!’
The quiet broke abruptly as six or eight kids shouted their explanations at Ms Slaviero over the top of everyone else. She held up her hands.
‘Stop, stop, stop! One at a time, please.’ She waited until they were all quiet again. ‘Right. Thank you. Now, Sophie T. How did this begin?’
‘Oh, miss! Not her –’ Erik blurted out.
Ms Slaviero held up a hand again and looked steadily at Sophie T.
‘Well,’ Sophie T said, ‘it all started because of the aliens.’
Amelia and Charlie glanced at one another.
‘I beg your pardon,’ said Ms Slaviero.
‘Because of the aliens they found in Egypt,’ said Sophie T.
Amelia let out a breath she hadn’t even known she was holding. In Egypt – phew. Nothing to do with the gateway, then. Nothing to do with me or my family at all.
Ms Slaviero laughed. ‘Ooo-kay. Aliens in Egypt. I’ve got to say, I haven’t heard that one before.’
‘It’s true!’ said Erik. ‘It was on the news and everything.’
Charlie grinned at Amelia. ‘No way!’ he whispered.
‘Are you sure it was the news, Erik?’ said Ms Slaviero. ‘And not one of those funny internet videos?’
‘It was on the radio, too,’ said Callan.
‘It’s a hoax!’ Sophie T scoffed. ‘You guys are so gullible.’
‘It’s not a hoax,’ said Callan, eyes widening. ‘It’s a conspiracy. My brother told me all about it!’
‘If that was true, we’d be blown to bits already!’ Erik shot back. ‘They’ve come in peace.’
‘It’s an invasion!’ Callan shouted. ‘It’s been going on for centuries. Wake up and learn the facts before it’s too late, you drone! The whole world has been run by a secret society of giant space lizards since 1776.’
Amelia gasped aloud. It was surely just a coincidence, wasn’t it? Callan couldn’t possibly know that the first alien Amelia and Charlie had ever seen going through the gateway under Tom’s cottage had in fact been a giant space-reptile. She hadn’t told anyone about it. She shot a sideways glance at Charlie, but he seemed as bewildered by Callan’s announcement as she was.
Ms Slaviero turned and noticed Amelia and Charlie had arrived.
‘Hello, you two,’ she said. ‘Well, if we’ve got the whole class here, I think I know what we’re studying today.’
Callan nodded fiercely. ‘The real history of the Illuminati and their plans to enslave all humanity.’
‘Er, no …’ said Ms Slaviero.
‘How proof of alien existence will unite all humanity in a new era of peace and enlightenment,’ said Erik.
‘No!’ Ms Slaviero was starting to sound irritated. ‘More like: truth versus fiction, and how to tell whether a story comes from a reliable source or not.’
Charlie groaned. ‘How do teachers do that?’
‘Do what?’ said Amelia as they joined the crowd heading to the classroom.
‘Take something as awesome as a fight about aliens and turn it into the world’s most boring lesson.’
But as far as Amelia was concerned, the quicker they got off the topic of aliens, the better. She was good at keeping secrets, but she was a terrible liar – if anyone asked her if she believed in aliens, it wouldn’t matter what she said. The truth would show clearly in her face.
And what would happen if, even as a joke, someone asked her if she’d ever seen an alien? Worse still, what if they asked Charlie?
The Midnight Mercenary
published in 2015 by
Hardie Grant Egmont
Ground Floor, Building 1, 658 Church Street
Richmond, Victoria 3121, Australia
www.hardiegrantegmont.com.au
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eISBN 9781743583562
Text copyright © 2015 Chris Morphew, Rowan McAuley and David Harding
Illustration and design copyright © 2015 Hardie Grant Egmont
Illustration by Craig Phillips
Book cover design by Latifah Cornelius
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